Conducting the Task Force

Task force activities include the following:

Providing an orientation to the task force event;

Providing training to the participants of the task force, as needed; and

Describing the work product outputs to be accomplished by the task force and the standards of acceptability for these outputs.

Each member of the task force should know exactly what work he or she is expected to produce. Involving the task force members in the discussion of task force products and standards enables them to develop a sense of ownership and group cohesiveness.

The managers or facilitators of a task force should provide encouragement and support to the task force members by reviewing their work and providing feedback.

The work products of the task force members should be reviewed as early as possible to ensure that they are meeting the standards of product acceptability. In that way, the task force members can adjust the performance of their work as needed.

In many cases, the review of the draft material can/will be conducted at the participant’s POD. If this is the case, the project manager should contact the participant’s manager and secure the manager’s cooperation in providing adequate time and space for the review to take place.

At the end of the task force activity, the task force managers/facilitators should conduct a closeout session with the task force members to review the accomplishments of the task force and obtain feedback on the task force experience.